Category: Hikikomori

The folks over at Cinema Nippon enjoyed our film so much, they decided to do a video review of it.

What is Cinema Nippon?

From their Youtube channel: “Cinema Nippon, a study in Japanese film. On this channel, you’ll find videos analyzing some cult classic Japanese movies, as well as some more obscure ones.”

Who doesn’t like film? What film fan doesn’t want to learn more about Japanese Film?

Eli and Kylie are genuine cinema fans and really do their homework. It’s very refreshing to feel how excited and passionate they are to share these films with their growing fan base. After subscribing to their channel myself, I have discovered a few more films I need to check out.

We are very grateful for Cinema Nippon’s review and their excitement in sharing our film with their followers!

We’ve all got baggage. Everyone has at least a carry on or personal item.

Some people are better at handling their baggage than others. It can be big and awkward or small and discreet.

No one wants to carry your baggage. They may offer to help you but ultimately you own it and have to deal with it.

I’m in my late 30’s and I absolutely have baggage. The difference now, as opposed to ten years ago, is that my baggage is pretty light and compact. I have learned that carrying everything with me was just not efficient or good for my health. It really slowed me down and sometimes got in the way of some relationships I really valued and held me back from destinations I wanted to visit.

Fortunately, I’ve been lucky enough to meet people who’ve shown me how to re-evaluate my journey.

Now, I pack light. I only take the essentials and even then, I try to leave enough space for better experiences and people to enrich my journey.

Now, my baggage doesn’t weigh me down as much. I still have post cards and stickers that remind me of where I’ve been. No point in forgetting the lessons I’ve learned.

Now I try to enjoy my journey as more and more destinations come and go.

Memories are your souvenirs in this journey of life. Why not focus on collecting the good ones and leaving the bad ones behind where you found them?

About four years ago, in the mid summer of 2012, I set out to make a short film about Hikikomori. I set up this blog in hopes of connecting to other filmmakers and people who like the same things I like.

I also set out to tell a story about something I had never heard of, growing up in America, but very quickly came to empathize with. Despite its Japanese origins, I feel like I understand why some people become Hikikomori.

It just spoke to me and I had to tell this story.

Is happiness (with your life and dreams) supposed to be about the destination or the journey?

At this point in my life, it’s both and it’s a fleeting happiness. I think this is the blessing and the curse of making movies or telling stories. Once it’s done. You’re back at zero but you welcome it because the process won’t be the same experience the next time around. The people you will meet along the way will inspire you as well as challenge you. The art form completely has you at it’s mercy but there’s no other way you’d rather spend your time.

This film took me longer than I thought, cost more than I thought, and I still manage to meet people who are willing to help me. It’s very humbling and truly amazing.

The main character, Isamu, moves from Japan to the United States with his divorced father and paternal grandmother. Isamu is an intelligent guy, but he’s left completely alone to face the process of cultural integration. His new classmates don’t show any patience with him and even his teacher, who should support him, is totally unsympathetic. So Isamu decides to drop out of school and withdraws himself to his bedroom, clashing with the concerns and the anger of his father.

I found “American Hikikomori” technically accurate, charming in shots and in music. The short film covers some of the main issues related to Hikikomori, such as the absence of the father, the difficulty in relating with classmates and teachers, and the hypersensitivity that is often found in guys who decide to isolate themselves.

The finale forces the viewer to reflect on the paradoxical condition of Hikikomori, the more they try to get away from the others and the more they become dependent on them. This reflection can be extended to the entire human existence, because basically we are all alone and, at the same time, inextricably linked.

A big “ありがとうございました!” to Marco Crepaldi for his wonderful review via his blog Hikikomori ItaliaAND for volunteering his time to translate our film’s subtitles into the Italian language.

I am absolutely humbled, flattered, and grateful. Our first batch of sales via Vimeo have actually been in Italy! To me that speaks volumes about how the Hikikomori phenomenon is no longer isolated to Japan.

If you would like to contribute in the effort of translating our film into another language OR simply learn more about our film or the filmmakers, you can contact us at:

It’s been a long but rewarding journey from script to screen. We are proud to present our short film as the labor of love we truly intended it to be.

Please support us by spreading the word, following us on social media, or just leaving a comment. We are grateful for the opportunity share our story with you.

*Buy our film on Memorial Day (with promo code “MemDay2016”) and get $2 off! Code use is limited to 500 downloads (first come, first served)

Official selection of:

DC Asian Pacific Film Festival
Ithaca Pan Asian American Film Festival
Asians on Film Festival
World Film Awards
Indie Night Film Festival
Best Shorts Competition
Japan Film Festival Los Angeles
Film Fest 52
New Haven International Film Festival
Culver City Film Festival

Asians on Film started as something small in 2010 as a way to promote Asian American minorities in Hollywood and break down stereotypes and create more representation in film and TV.

As the audience grew, so did AOF. Before long, we expanded into providing free services in support of talent and events that matched our mission:

Asians on Film is devoted to arts & entertainment with a primary focus in providing recognition to the talent of Asian/Pacific Islanders who are minorities in the film industry either as talents, filmmakers and/or those who work in other aspects of filmmaking.

In 2012, AOF started a short film festival in Los Angeles designed differently from all other festivals and with judges actually kept from the public to ensure as much fairness as possible in the process. Programming was done based on weighted average of the judges. All of this was due to the under-representation of Asian Americans at film festivals, and as a short film festival, specifically to focus attention on new and emerging talent.

The festival now in it’s fourth year has grown dramatically with over 300 submissions last year and 17 festival awards. The festival has also expanded to include special screenings of “Best of Fest” throughout the year in other cities with a goal of having screenings in Asia and Europe in 2016.